A/N: Ah ha! Still here!
. . . . . . . .
A true friend is someone who's there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else. – Len Wein
~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0
. . . . . .
Kris stood out on the windy curb in front of her apartment building. Wind whistled through her hair and she shivered. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me..."
Legolas raised an eyebrow. A long, black limousine purred to a stop. He stared in the shiny windows at his feet, but only his own distorted reflection peered back.
"He's going all out, huh?" Kristy muttered, and Legolas silently agreed.
"Kristine Anderson?" The window cracked open a little. The voice was brisk and curt. "Mr. Luke Smith?"
"That's right."
A pause followed, before the sound of the door-locks opening. Kristy hesitated getting inside. She lifted her chin. "I'm still mad at you for calling me a slut."
"I did not-"
"-But you won't leave me tonight," She cut him off, "if I don't want you to, right?"
Legolas sighed. "With Roger? Alone?" he half-smiled, feeling his heart pulse in his ribs. "Never."
"Promise?"
Legolas hesitated, because he wasn't sure if his simple word was enough. Then he kissed his two fingers, touched them gently to her forehead. "Promise."
Kristy grinned and Legolas swung the door open. "After you, m'lady."
Legolas blinked in the dim lights of the car. He slid up beside Kristy and lifted an arm around her, folding his long legs. The first thing he noticed was the Marine sitting across from them. Then the alcohol sloshing and tinkling gently in a pocket on the door. Kristy looked taken aback at the grand surroundings; it was all leather and polished chrome.
"What a jovial escort," he muttered sarcastically, avoiding the soldier's eyes, which he couldn't see under a dark blue, rimmed cap. He
Kris followed his example and used Westron. "Escort?" she scoffed. "More like prison guard."
Legolas agreed, but he didn't openly do so. Instead he forced a small, feigned smile. "Prison could be less grand though. Hm?"
"Wow, I guess. Who paid for this?" Kris asked the man sitting across from them.
His mouth barely moved. "Major Roger Sterling."
Legolas felt Kristy stiffen.
"Major?"
No answer.
Kristy leaned closer to Legolas and whispered loudly. "How is he a major already? Rog never told me that."
"Is that a rank in your military?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Promotion, ma'am." The marine said nondescriptly, "That's generally how it works."
"Promotion." She echoed lamely, folding her arms a little defensively and sitting back in the seat. "What did he do to deserve that?"
"I'm not privy to say, ma'am."
Kristy frowned.
"Keep calm." Legolas instructed in Westron.
Kristy hissed back just as quiet. "Well I can't help it. I've got a bad feeling."
"I know." He agreed. "I feel it too. But there's nothing to do about it now."
"Really bad feeling." She insisted. "I mean, major? How does that happen?"
Legolas risked a glance at the escort. He couldn't see the man's eyes from under his dark blue, rimmed cap. He could just make out a shaved jaw and stony, grim-set mouth as street lights whizzed past.
And suddenly, on a suspicious impulse, Legolas glanced at Kristy. "Let's push the guard out and make love on the seat."
She blinked. "Uh…what?"
Legolas just sighed. The guard didn't even flinch. "Never mind. I wanted to see if he understood us."
"Westron? How could he?"
"I…do not know." He admitted. "I'm not sure of anything anymore."
Kristy glanced down, laughing a little sickly. "I know what you mean. I'm so nervous."
Legolas felt her pulse pound relentlessly through her veins as he sat close to her. It almost rivaled his own. He looked at her in the dark, felt her warmth. He watched her mouth fidget. Familiar. Precious. Manwe, why was she doing this? For him? Was she so worried for him that she would risk arrest?
A moment later—ignoring the man watching—he enveloped her side in a warm hug. "All will be fine," he assured her. Then, in English. "And we'll have a grand time."
Kristy laughed, dropping her head to rest against his. "Glad you think so."
The club they arrived at was massive and crowded with a relentless beat, flashing, spinning lights. They glowed green, blue, purple and she had to focus to make sense of them. Kristy hung onto Legolas' arm as the Marine nearly pushed them past the gates, ahead of the waiting line.
As soon as they were inside though, Kristy hissed loudly. "Hey, come here!" She looked around frantically for some place to go. Another line of shadowed sweaty people led the way to the restroom. But it wasn't private enough.
"What-"
"Out here." She ducked aside, pushing past more people and dragging Legolas with her. There was a terrace outside.
"Kristy, what are we doing?" he asked as the door slammed behind them.
"I have something for you."
Legolas shuddered in the cool breeze. He shifted so it blew at his back though, and sheltered Kristy from the cold.
"Um, so we can keep in touch." She lifted a small device and held it out to him.
"A phone?" he asked, incredulous.
Kris nodded.
"I don't need that."
"But… but please take it. I don't want to lose track of you."
"I said I wouldn't leave you," he murmured, clenching his arms in the cold.
Why did he feel it like this? It felt like he had no flesh or coat to shield him. And he was weak, weak and tired. Exhausted even. Why?
"Just take it anyway." She pushed it into his pants pocket. "You know how to text. I got it for you. Just…just please accept it."
Legolas sighed. "Very well. But I'm not privy to your spending money on me uselessly."
Kris shrugged. "Call me stupid."
Legolas almost smiled. "Can we go inside instead?"
Now that he mentioned it, she realized how hard and stiff his arms were. Kris blinked in surprise. It was cold out, sure, but…But usually Legolas was the last to feel it. Usually it was him keeping her warm. Kristy reached out and rubbed his hand vigorously.
"O-oh sure."
Legolas shook his head. "And does this mean you are no longer angry with me?"
He placed a hand in the small of her back and lightly pushed her toward the doors. A rush of hot air assailed him as they stepped inside and he welcomed it. Which said something. It reeked of alcohol, sweat, and music that was too loud.
Apparently, Kristy didn't hear him. Either that or she did, and didn't care to answer.
"Krissy!"
Two hands grabbed her around the waist and Kristy yelped.
"Finally made it, huh? What about-" Roger trailed off.
Legolas stared at him from over Kristy's head—no mean feat with the heels she balanced on. The floor thrummed with the mass of people and the beat of the music reverberated off the walls. And there was tension in the air, so thick he could have punched a hole in it.
"And the watch-puppy lives up to his name," Roger said dryly.
"Only as long as foxes are near." Legolas smiled.
"Come on. Let's dance." Roger ignored him, starting to conspicuously convulse in time to the music. Kristy kept her eyes up, above where his hips revolved suggestively. "No time like the present, Krissy."
"I…"
"Go." Legolas said reluctantly, "I'll get us something drinkable."
He was vaguely surprised he didn't see more hesitancy in her eyes when she ran off with him. Legolas wove his way to the bar. A moving, shifting mass filled the center.
"Hey handsome." The tender leaned over and grinned at him. "What'll it be?"
Legolas blinked, taking an instant to realize she was talking to him. "I…three drinks, please."
"Shots?"
He hesitated. "What is a shot?"
'Aggy', her name tag said, held up a tiny glass as example. "This?"
"That looks fine." He nodded. Small glass. Good. He didn't need a drunk Kristy on his hands. Not in that dress.
Legolas slid the three glasses together and leaned back, waiting for the song to end. He watched Kristy's hair fly as they danced. Roger maneuvered himself behind her, just one of the flashing shadows in the blur.
Legolas folded his arms. For being 'gay', as Kristine called it, he certainly didn't dance like it. Roger had both his hands on her hips. In time to the music, they made a rhythm that put a murderous frown on Legolas' face.
And then, he narrowed his eyes more.
Kristy, in the middle of the dancefloor, looked back at Roger's hand on her hip, covered it with her own, and lifted the other in the air. Legolas snatched one of the glasses in frustration, threw his head back, and downed it. Damn Marine. He- Legolas grabbed the bar suddenly, coughing. Sweet Manwe!
It was stronger than he thought. These humans must have learned a thing or two. Still, it was nothing compared to the strongest brew in Mirkwood. Legolas had another.
"Had fun, did we?" Legolas smiled a little sourly as they came to the bar, breathless and grinning.
"No, I just pretended to." Kristy laughed, elbowing Roger in the side.
Legolas frowned, but ignored the comment. "Here." He handed the two their glasses.
"Thanks."
Soon a host of Marines descended on the two. They were a mass of shouting, drinking, laughing faces. Most of the brawny men had women on their arms. But it was as if with some unspoken rule, Kristy was the center of attention. As if their sole purpose was to make her feel welcome.
And then, his ears perked and he shot his head up.
"Luke! I…I'm gonna go for a quick ride with Rog." Kristy ran up and stumbled. She caught herself on Legolas. Rog walked slowly behind, looking very self-satisfied. "He has a mustang." She slurred dramatically, "A new one."
"Kristine-"
And she looked up. Legolas let his protest fade and Kris winked slyly. She gripped his arm with both hands, stared at him intently, before tipping up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.
"I'm fine." She whispered faintly in his ear, "Really."
"Come on, babe."
"Let's go!"
Legolas watched them go with a sinking feeling in his stomach…and this time, not the pain in his chest, side, or anything else. She was drunk. And leaving. With Roger.
"We'll be back!" Kristy shouted from the exit. Rog grabbed her arm and yanked her on.
But hopefully not as drunk as she pretended.
He rolled up in a jet black mustang flagged in crimson. Blood red LEDs lit the inside console and the steering wheel. Kris wrapped herself in a coat and stared.
"Hop in," he walked around the front and offered the door.
The night was crisp outside, but not cold. She shivered, partly because a small share of her felt fear for Roger and his officers, for his military and the new car she didn't know he had. Partly because she felt a little self-conscious getting in his car, drinking so much, and wearing this little black dress. But mostly because Legolas was in the back of her mind, staring at her with worry.
He had every right to worry.
"Are you okay?" Rog slammed the door shut after him and sped out of the parking lot.
She nodded a little.
"You look great tonight, Kristy."
She nodded stiffly again, still staring fixatedly at the console. Her heart thundered in her ears.
"So…" he said quietly, all laughter dead in the car. "What was the kiss about back there?"
Kris frowned. "Um, what?"
"You kissed…Luke."
Kristy smiled. "Oh, yeah. I know I told you he's a creep, the other night on the phone. But he's not. I was just…a little upset."
"Yeah, from half-freezing on some windy bridge," he agreed.
"Yeah."
And then, a few quiet moments later, listening to the purr of the engine and the streetlights streaming past, he spoke again. "Kristy, you don't…feel anything for him."
Kris smiled.
"I mean, it's not serious. You know that, right?"
Kristy almost laughed. "I know very few things, Rog. And that's not one of them."
"He's no good for you, girl," Rog said, deadly serious.
Kristy shook her head. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me. He's…everything."
Kris thought he was going to argue, for a minute. She wanted him to, to convince him that whatever opinions he had about Legolas were wrong. He was a man, a prince, so good it hurt sometimes. Didn't he see it? It radiated off of him, as if he were light and magic rolled into one.
Rog's face darkened in the faint light of the car and she thought he was angry. But he didn't say anything. He just gripped the steering wheel harder, turned a corner, and the ride was a very short one.
. . .
Legolas heard Kristy's voice, staring into the bottom of his empty glass. He tilted his head up and watched the group congregate again as the two returned. A gust of cold air blew in at their entrance. There was something off between Kristy and Roger, almost imperceptible.
Suddenly, he realized Roger and another, one he recognized from the mall cafeteria were going to engage in a…drinking contest?
"What are the stakes?" he spoke up suddenly.
At first they didn't hear him, or didn't seem to. But it turned out Rog did.
"What do you want em' to be?" he said, quieting the others' chatter with a quick hand. He stared at Legolas with dark eyes. "You interested?"
Legolas wove his way through the crowd. He leaned on the bar then, apparently thought about it (though Kristy, looking at him, had a feeling he'd already made up his mind), then said. "A dance with Kristy. Uninterrupted," he smiled suggestively.
Before Kris could even protest, Roger said, "Done. First drink on me." He passed Legolas a glass without even hesitating.
"But-"
"Quiet," Rog snapped at Kris.
Legolas paused before swallowing, long enough to throw a glare in his direction for his sharp command. Kristy pulled her arm out of the Marine's and inconspicuously shifted nearer Legolas.
And so they drank…one, three. Three became five. Five became eight.
Legolas was starting to feel it. But he was determined to win this. He didn't know why. Maybe he was lashing out at Kristy apparently having such a good time with these Marines. Or maybe that this man thought he had some claim on her even when he lied to her.
And despite whatever Kristy said, worried of or thought, she cared about the man. Even when he used such a precious thing to further his own ends…when he didn't love her.
It made Legolas angry. And so he drank.
To his surprise, Roger slammed the eleventh drink down with a gasp. "Enough! I give up. You win. You win."
Legolas caught his breath. The alcohol was rushing to his head and he forced it down. "Kristine?" he said before anyone could say another word.
She looked at him, standing in the crowd of men, laughing girls on their arms, drinks sloshing and sliding across the bar. There was something…incredible about the sight. The sheer difference, how he stood apart. He just waited there, blinking, letting the shadows and spinning lights pass over him.
And suddenly, before she could even breathe, much less answer, the lights dropped. A slower song began.
Glowing lights, blue, pink, green lasers revolved off the walls and she almost stumbled. Legolas took her hand. Kris followed him blindly, feeling panicky and flustered in the dark.
But mostly because Legolas was. She sensed a need, anger…in the way he stalked out onto the dancefloor.
"Legolas," she said. And suddenly, just as he whirled around, as if to say something at her, Kristy stepped forward and crushed herself against his chest.
Legolas blinked.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"I…why?"
As the deep bass played on, he glanced up, realizing the Marines dispersed into the crowd again…except Roger. He sat at the bar and watched them.
"For rescuing me." She hugged him harder, as if it were obvious.
"You mean…you wanted to be taken from them?" he whispered into her hair.
Kristy looked up. "I couldn't take it anymore."
Legolas stared in disbelief. "I…"
"Oh god." She whispered with a slow, spreading grin. "You didn't…you didn't think I was enjoying that. Did you?"
Legolas, swaying slowly with her in the midst of the spinning lights, felt a little sheepish. "I was starting to wonder."
Kristy just shook her head. Legolas smiled, feeling the Marine's eyes burning into his neck. But he felt the lights more, the heat of her thin dress, and the pleasant tingle of alcohol in his veins. He'd been drunk only once in his life, on his majority day. But this was better. He didn't want it to control him.
And besides, it won him a dance.
"Come on," he said softer yet.
He turned so his body shielded her from Roger's scrutiny. Soon he was in the midst of a crowd, and yet didn't feel them. The lights made him feel only a little off-balance. Legolas shut his eyes and pressed the side of his face against her smooth hair.
Legolas cracked his eyes open again and looked at Roger then, as he sat on the stool. The marine rested his head in one hand, staring at them. Legolas maintained eye contact, showing him the difference between them. Himself and the marine.
Some pretended to feel. And some felt.
Legolas swayed from side to side, taking it slow, let the still, dancing blurs at the edge of his vision stay that way…insignificant blurs. Legolas caressed the small of her back, before guiding her other hand to his neck. Kristy dropped her face against him, and her fingers slid up into his hair.
"Closer…" he whispered.
Legolas saw the expression on Roger. He was angry. He couldn't fathom why this was happening; he wanted to stop it. Legolas didn't. Right here, now, he wanted this thing more than ever. Legolas spread his hand and slid it down her back, made a clawing motion with his fingers, inhaling her scent.
"I think we failed tonight," Legolas whispered into her ear.
"Maybe." She mumbled, curling and uncurling her hands in his hair, "Roger…wouldn't tell me what he knows."
"We failed in that too, then." He agreed, hating himself for how secretly glad he was. "I vowed I wouldn't steal you away from him tonight."
Kristy smiled, watching the spinning lights reflect off the polished floor. "He said I should stay away from you."
"You should listen."
Kris felt his hands tighten the moment he said it. She felt the heat of his hands on her back, the faint line of roughness on his palm from years of archery. She felt his warm, quick breathing. And she pressed herself against him, letting his hands cover the break in her dress completely.
"Are you trying to cover me up?" she laughed.
"No." Legolas rode the heady sensation from the liquor. He dropped his head and said with a grin. "…just trying to touch as much of you as possible."
She laughed against him and he chuckled. But the moment was cut short, because on the rise of a voice echoing words of never-ending love, want, emptiness, swelling and filling the void swallowing them, he spilled out.
"Kristy," he hesitated. "I have to tell you something."
She looked up.
"You…asked me if there's a choice." Legolas said finally because…because he didn't know why. But a small, very powerful, very miserable part of him dreaded the thought of talking about this, and yet he dreaded not saying it more. "You asked me last night. Do you remember?"
Kristy froze in his arms. "I…remember."
"There is no choice."
Kristy froze and she couldn't pretend to dance with him anymore. Her heart stopped in her chest…and then started to tattoo a relentless rhythm against her ribs.
"Aragorn," he said softly. "he will do anything to get back home. He has people, his love. And I have my own. But…"
Kristy stroked her thumb through his hair, and she rested the side of her face against his, breathing a little faster. "But?"
"But…" he whispered softly. "I'll miss you."
Kristy choked on her intake of breath. That's it?
"I will miss you so terribly." He spilled out in a rush, into her hair. "I have to leave. I know I must…if there be a way. I must. But I fear it will tear me apart."
Kristy dropped her eyes, feeling panic. No choice. It was over? He'd decided already? She couldn't talk about it with him. Not here. Not now. "I…I have something to tell you."
Legolas nodded, searching her eyes no matter how hard she tried to look away. "Yes?"
"I…I," Kristy broke off and hiccupped. "left Roger's car door unlocked."
Legolas blinked, feeling a little taken-aback. "I…what?"
"Um," she sniffed, wiping furiously at her eyes. "I left the door unlocked. I wanted to search his car and-and see if I could f-find something. So I left it open."
Realization dawned and he nodded slowly. "I…of course, Kristy. We can go."
Kristy nodded vigorously. Her cutting him off hurt him, she realized. She could see it in his eyes. He didn't understand. But Kris couldn't help it.
Right now-maybe it was handling dear, fake Roger all night, the alcohol, the strange faces-but she felt incredibly forlorn. Legolas leaving, being left all alone when it happened, it was the last thing she wanted to think about.
"Hey!" a voice cut them off just as they turned to leave.
Kristy looked back and Legolas froze, staring ahead.
"Not leaving so soon, are we?" Roger asked again from behind.
Kris thought fast. "N-no, 'course not." She blinked fast to clear her eyes and the stinging tears. "I'm, um, just going out for a smoke. That's all."
The Marine nodded. "Well…don't be long."
. . . . . . . .
"Try this." Kristy handed Legolas a hairpin.
The two were crouched in the front seat of Roger's mustang, pulling on the locked glovebox. It was wedged open on one side, but they couldn't quite get it open. Legolas tried yanking on the door, but only hit his head on Kristy's arm.
"Sorry."
He frowned, staring at the thing in frustration. "If I pry this out all the way, can you fit your hand in there? See what's inside?"
Kristy thought about it. "I can try."
Legolas braced his boot on the dash, pulled the door open as far as he could get it. Kristy squirmed her fingers inside. And with some prying, she started a commentary…
"Feels like a flashlight," she said, "um…a candy wrapper, some cloth. Don't know what that is. And uh…some papers?" Kristy struggled to look in the tiny, black gap. "It's a folder of some kind."
"Try to get it out."
And then, with the help of the bent hairpin, she managed to pull the folder out. To her surprise, it was actually two stapled together. And the label read…
"Oh sweet Lord," Kris whispered.
Legolas pushed her hair aside, trying to see in the dark. "What?"
"It's me!" She fumbled overhead for the light. A faint yellow glow lit the front seat, and they huddled closer, staring at the two folders. "Kristine Anderson. And… 1?"
"Is that a number?" Legolas asked in disbelief.
Kris opened the folder, and to her further shock, a blurry snapshot of Legolas was pinned to the inside. There was another one of him standing on their balcony, looking out over the city. One of him crossing a parking lot…
At least a dozen papers…medical records, blood test results, other things she couldn't guess at, filled the back folder. She didn't like the hospital sheets. There were red lines, doctor's notes filling the border, a strip of tape monitoring his heartbeat with red circles around spikes on the sheet.
"Why are you labeled as Number 1?" she grimaced in confusion. It didn't make sense. Legolas was in perfect health!
The elf just flipped through the pages, as if in a daze.
"See if there are more of these."
Kristy nodded quickly, but when she tried again, she only came up with one more. "There's more, but I can't reach them. These two were in front." She opened the folder. She didn't recognize the woman inside, but her number was 53.
"Do you think he's…hunting these people down?" Legolas asked softly, feeling a little numb. Fifty-three. If he was 1, and she was fifty-three, how many like him were stranded? Hundreds? Thousands?
Legolas felt sick.
"Well I don't think he's wishing them all a new year." Kris muttered. "I-I think I should get these anyway." She said, pulling her phone out of her purse. She clicked open the camera, held the papers into the light, and started filming them.
"I cannot stay." Legolas said grimly. "'Tis only a matter of time until he assembles his soldiers."
"You're not going anywhere without me."
"Well, what do you suggest?" he asked. "Estel and Tauriel cannot stay either. He may have files on them."
"They don't even have names." Kristy said in disgust. "Look at this. They're just numbers to him!"
"Come on." Legolas grabbed the files from her. He pushed them back into the glove-box and slammed it shut. "We'll get a motel tonight. Sign under another name."
Kris didn't like the sound of it, but running after Legolas, slipping in her heels on the wet pavement, she was panicking. Arguing didn't even cross her mind. Legolas flagged down a taxi and pushed her inside.
"Pack your things." He muttered, "We won't be coming back."
. . . .